As a general rule I don’t usually repost much of David’s stuff for no other reason than 99% of you will already have visited his site. However, I couldn’t ignore his observation (Printed below) on an article printed in the Huffington Post.

David, quite rightly questions the use of asterisk’s as a replacement for letters in an article or news report. The asterisk will inevitably be used in an effort to censor a swear word. The dictionary definition of an asterisk is: the symbol * which is used to refer readers to a note at the bottom of a page of text, or to show that a letter is missing from a word.

I won’t repeat what David has said about using Asterisks, that would just be f***ing stupid. However, I will add that someone once said to me that using swear words shows a person up as having a limited vocabulary – what a thick C*** that person was. I know that the range of my vocabulary may not stretch as far as that of a professor of Literature’s would, but I am willing to bet that my vocabulary range is well above the average persons.

At the end of the day, words like ‘fuck’, ‘shit’ and ‘bollocks’ are just that; words… Words in common use at that. The use of profanity is an easy, simple to understand, instantly recognisable way to emphasise either a point, your mood or the contempt you feel for something or someone.

You certainly have to question the mind set of someone who is reading about a serious injustice or mass genocide, yet only objects to the use of any bad language included in the text. To my mind those idiots are nothing more than Minced oath, secretions of the sebaceous gland, pate’s.

This is a report at the Huffington Post and you see this all the time in newspapers worldwide:

‘Sir Bradley Wiggins has belatedly unleashed anger at his former idol Lance Armstrong, labelling the cycling cheat a “lying b*****d”.’

Now, what do you think he said? Lying so and so? Lying possum? Lying low? Lying in?

Well, being an adult with a modicum or even smear of intelligence and going so far as counting the * thingies between the b and d, it is my assessment after contemplating for, oh, the best part of 0.5 seconds, that Wiggins has called Armstrong a ‘lying BASTARD’.

So what’s with the b*****d?

I’ll tell you. It is the fake, fraudulent, hypocritical and self-deceiving morality that puts asterisks in words like b*****d and f**k while happily supporting wars that leave human beings, often children, with limbs and flesh scattered all across the street.

That’s fine. It’s ‘fighting terrorism’. That’s a moral and just war, isn’t it? But quoting someone saying bastard or fuck has to be symbolically covered over, for symbolic is all it is, to preserve the illusion of fake nose-in-the-air morality. Newsrooms in which fuck, bastard and more are the common language must protect the mystique of morality by throwing in a few ******s.

You see it’s okay in this self-deceiving ‘moral code’ to think bastard and fuck because what else goes through anyone’s mind when they see b*****d and f**k except bastard and fuck?

But so long as you don’t read bastard and fuck in full the moral high-ground is retained. They are, after all, ‘responsible and principled’ publications.

It is hilarious and pathetic and the moral version, in its own way, of saying that you are pepper-bombing cities of civilians to protect the lives of civilians.

We have a rather different moral code at Davidicke.com.

I find war, killing and violence grotesque and immoral and the programmed sensibilities of language rather less of a priority.

Call a b*****d a bastard and a f**k a fuck, I say. There, did anybody die, lose a limb or see their children blown to pieces?

12 Comments

As an English teacher in Thailand, my most popular classes were the swearing lessons. A language isn’t complete without knowing how to insult someone with a few choice WORDS.

Pete the feetJanuary 27, 2013 @ 8:33 pm

they’re all b******s to me. love your stuff spiv.

AlexJanuary 27, 2013 @ 10:12 pm

Unfortunately the idiots you mention are pretty much the norm but then just take one ride on the London underground for example and you will soon see what the majority of people read. It is really not very encouraging neither it helps building faith in the human race in general.

Ryanairdontcare CampaignJanuary 27, 2013 @ 11:35 pm

”You certainly have to question the mind set of someone who is reading about a serious injustice or mass genocide, yet only objects to the use of any bad language included in the text. To my mind those idiots are nothing more than Minced oath, secretions of the sebaceous gland, pate’s. ” Well said and so true Chris…

Joe90January 27, 2013 @ 11:46 pm

People who have to resort to Lord Mayoring, you wonder if they have anything worthwhile to say.

NikJanuary 28, 2013 @ 1:12 am

At a quick glance Dense Vaginas read as Denise Van Outen :/

Ruby MartynJanuary 28, 2013 @ 7:26 am

What hypocrites the media are when you watch movies where swearing is the norm and expected these days and then when it is printed its censored .

DecencyJanuary 28, 2013 @ 3:36 pm

Indeed Films do Tend to Feature/Promote Swearing

Guy JonesJanuary 31, 2013 @ 11:11 am

Its also analogous to the way we have a Global financial problem, so we have to raise taxes, lower salaries, close libraries, schools and hospitals. And yet there is always more money for more bombs and guns. The populations of the Globe have been so programmed that most can’t even see this reality? The Emperor really is actually bollock naked folks!

callaJune 4, 2013 @ 6:21 pm

Got to admit that I loathe to hear people ‘swearing.’ I know it’s daft because it’s just language after all but it really goes against the grain. Guess this is down to the era I was brought up in where swearing was really looked down on. Even after I married and had kids I would have been too scared of my dad’s disapproval to curse in front of him. Hey ho, what a genteel generation I come from. And before anybody tells me to lighten up , it’s just the way I was brought up!!!!!!!!!!

DecencyAugust 22, 2013 @ 10:09 am

Really like living in a Land of Thick Zombies when one Considers all the
Bureaucracy and Paperwork and how Humorons just seem to Accept it
when they should be Demonstrating

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